It is very hard to please Penangites like me. Hate us but we have ‘higher standards’ when come to food taste. Or maybe we are very faithful to our little island, we always have that little biasness when it comes to other states’ foods.
So, I heard people raving about Tangkak beef noodles. They told me it is so, so nice. They have never tasted Penang beef noodles, obviously.
The only selling point that beats Penang is they are halal. The Tangkak beef noodle sold in Melaka is manned by Muslims so our Muslim friends can finally have a sampling of beef noodles, Chinese style. Usually, the Malay version is much spicier with lots of cinnamon, cloves, star anise and other spices flavour. Whereas, this beef noodle does not have the overpowering spicy taste but just the hearty flavour of beef.
We drove around Melaka town looking for the place and found it after a few turns. It is a clean, orderly shop very much like fast-food restaurants.
Usually, in Penang, my family like our beef noodles served separately. I.e. bowls of noodles with some soya sauce and then, we get a huge bowl of innards, balls, fillet, tendon and raw beef swimming in a delicous, piping hot soup with lots of coriander leaves. This way, each family members eat only what they like. We have quite a good understanding, whereby I like tendons and innards while some kids like balls and others like the beef.
But Tangkak beef noodles have no such style. It is served in individual bowls and you have to order the balls seperately.
The soup is rather watered down if you compared with Penang version. It is darker in colour and has a hint of spice in it.
So, if you have eaten the Kang Beef House beef noodles or the one at Perak Road beef noodles or the one at the Bomba in Chulia Street gu bak koay teow (all non-halal though), then, you won’t be raving about Tangkak Beef Noodles.